6 destinations to visit in Spring

Spring has finally arrived in many places! Personally, Spring is my favourite season of the year. Everything comes alive! Animals are being born, flowers and trees are growing, people go outside more and the whole world just seems more beautiful with the sun shining! Although the weather can be very precarious here in the Netherlands, I already had several days where I made some nice walks and had some great time outside with friends and family.

In this article, travel bloggers will tell you all about their favourite Spring destination. Which place is perfect in spring and worth to travel to? Read along and find out!

Florence, ItalyAfter calling Florence, Italy home for 1+ year, I can easily say that it is a perfect spring destination. Florence is one of the most popular cities to visit in the world, and often becomes crowded with tourists during the summer months. The best way to avoid the crowds while still experiencing great weather is to visit during the spring. The city truly begins to come alive, and the al fresco dining you’ll find everywhere is the perfect way to enjoy the spring sun while taking in the beauty and renaissance charm of Firenze. Florence is also a very walkable city, so you can spend much of your time outdoors, enjoying the weather and the historic architecture surrounding you.

Florence is also home to the gorgeous Boboli and Bardini gardens, which is the perfect way to see some incredible blooms during springtime. You’ll also want to make time to escape the city and head out to the countryside. Tuscany is so gorgeous in springtime, with rolling hills and vineyards begging to be explored.

Florence truly is a gem, and it’s beauty is only intensified in the springtime.

Budapest, HungaryI believe that every European city turns into a fairytale city once spring hits. No wonder spring is a popular time to explore the old continent.

Budapest, with Danube dividing it into Buda and Pest, has a magical aura once the air becomes warmer and the flowers are in bloom. I’ve been lucky enough to visit it in spring (April) couple of years ago only to be enchanted by the amazing photo opportunities. My favorite way to see the city is on self-made walking tours. I usually take the metro to Deák Ferenc tér, then walk on Vaci utca and go to the Danube Promenade. Follow it to Chain Bridge and continue along the Danube bank up to the Parliament. From here you can either cross to Buda and explore the Castle District; or hop on a metro back to Deák Ferenc tér where you can switch to Millennium Line and stop at Heroes Square. Spend some time in the park or the grounds of Vajdajunyad Castle and you can probably call it a day soon. On the other hand, the panorama from the Fishermen’s Bastion, located within the Castle District, should not be missed. If it rains, then my favorite place to visit in the Transport Museum. It’s close to Heroes Square and can keep you entertained for some good hours, especially if you are passionate about the means of transport and their history.

Favourite Spring Destination of Cris from LooknWalk. You can read more about Budapest by clicking on this link.

Cyprus
Cyprus is home to some truly beautiful beaches, but it’s also a place for culture, food and terrific scenery. It has a long history that spans 10,000 years, making it one of the oldest civilizations in the Mediterranean. We went in early spring and the flight cost 19.99€ pp. As we stepped off the plane in Larnaca, the sun was shining and I immediately felt excitement as our journey was about to begin.

The small island of Cyprus is one of the most guaranteed sunny destinations in Europe and a wonderful island to visit. According to Wikipedia, Cyprus is rated the 40th most popular destination in the world with almost 3 million tourist arrivals per year. I do recommend getting a rental car unless you plan on laying at the beach all day and hanging out at a club at night. Places I wanted to visit was Ayia Napa, the Sea Caves, the Blue Lagoon, Cape Greco and the worldwide famous Nissi Beach. There are wonderful views to see along the coastline, but one of our favourites is the Blue Lagoon with crystal clear water turquoise water. As I water lover, there are also other places to fall in love with.

When most people think of traveling to Cyprus, they picture someone sitting by the pool, bathing on the beach or partying at nightclubs. Ayia Napa is often called the new Ibiza. But I found that this Mediterranean gem has so much more to offer. It has sun, beautiful beaches, authentic places, history, mountains, great nightlife, fabulous hotels and good restaurants.

Songkran Festival, ThailandIf you are looking for an epic trip to take in the spring head to Thailand to celebrate the Songkran festival. Every April 13-15th Thailand celebrates the Thai New Year with a water festival aka the world’s largest squirt gun fight called Songkran. They are rinsing away the sins of last year and starting the New Year pure. The best place to celebrate is in Chiang Mai Thailand and the second best Bangkok. I have celebrated the festival twice in Chiang Mai and no other festival in the world compares. No one is safe from getting wet. If you step foot on the streets during April 13-15 plan on getting a bucket of water dumped over your head. April happens to also be one of the hottest months of the year and a squirt gun fight is a great way to beat the heat.

Favourite Spring destination of Hannah from Getting Stamped. You can read more about the Songkran Festival by clicking on this link.

Amsterdam, the NetherlandsSpring is one of my favorite seasons. Not only because I love the sun and all the beautiful flowers, but because travelling in this period of the year is fantastic. Cheaper prices, great weather, and you get to avoid the huge crowds (which is a huge bonus). Should I choose just one Spring destination, I wouldn’t have any doubt. Amsterdam, in The Netherlands, has become my “Spring dream”!

While I admittedly have a black thumb, as much as I like flowers, my husband is always outside gardening. Yet we weren’t prepared at all at the explosion of flowers and greenery in Amsterdam. Don’t just think of tulips, while there are a lot, it’s not all we’ve found: hyacinths, prink crocuses, bright yellow daffodils, it’s like stepping into a scented rainbow. Just walk around for a bit and you’ll notice how much the Dutch care about their gardens. It has to be love! And while the Keukenhof gardens will probably be pretty crowded in Spring time, let me share a little secret with you. Head over to Zandaam. It’s just 15 minutes from Amsterdam City Centre by train (yes, you can bring your rented bycicle with you! Thank you Dutch railways!). Here while cycling around the beautiful countryside you will find the most awesome gardens ever. We found one area where every house had a different little scene outside in the garden, from the usual gnomes fishing in the creek to a “fairy garden” full of colored glass sculptures of different shapes, from huge bushes full of flowers to cute little trees that looked like a bigger version of a bonsai.

Amsterdam is the only place on Earth where my husband walks around in Spring grumbling by himself. Why? Because he keeps on wondering how can they have such amazing gardens full of flowers while at home he works so hard… and he’s not even close to getting the same results. Sorry, sweetheart, this means we’ll have to return to Amsterdam next Spring. Just to… gather more intel, of course!

Favourite Spring destination of Dany from Travelling Dany. You can read more about Amsterdam by clicking on this link.

Lisbon, PortugalLisbon is a great destination all year round, but it’s particularly wonderful in the spring. The temperatures are warm, the trees are in bloom and the city really comes to life.

Head down to Belem, Lisbon’s historical area and take time to stroll around the sights of the Monasterio Jeronimo, Monument of Discovery and Belem Tower – I love going a few hours before sunset then watching as the stone buildings’ colours change through from white to gold in the last light of the day. Don’t forget to visit the Pastéis de Belem for the best Pastel de Nata (Portuguese custard tarts) in town.

Nothing heralds the end of winter like dining al fresco in the sunshine. LX Factory is an old manufacturing area that has been transformed into a hub of buzzing restaurants, bars and shops. Sit down at one of the restaurants’ many tables with your lunch or dinner and people watch in one of Lisbon’s coolest spots. Cantina restaurant is my favourite dining options in LX Factory but ensure that you leave space for one of the perfect cheesecakes from LXeese Cake.

You should wander up to the Portas do Sol in Alfama for gorgeous sunset views over the city – nab a table on the terrace and watch the sun set with a cocktail in hand. Perfect.

Favourite Spring destination of Julianna from The Discoveries Of. You can read more about Lisbon by clicking on this link.

Is there still a destination that definitely needs to be on this list according to you? Please let us know in the comments.

7 thoughts on “6 destinations to visit in Spring”

Most of Europe is great in the Spring – right before high season and high temperatures! I would love to visit (or return to) some of these places. On another note, I can only dream of flights so cheap in Canada. :\

These are definitely some great destinations! I only done Florence and Songkran, but there are sever others on the list I’m really wanting to get to. Sometimes I’m surprised that I haven’t been to Amsterdam, I guess I just need to make it happen.

This is a great list! I would certainly like to visit Florence in the spring because I have never been. I’ve been to Amsterdam and Lisbon but never in the spring. I’d love to see the flowers in bloom in Amsterdam.

Budapest and Amsterdam may be a bit too chill for me in spring (and rainy?!), but Cyprus and Lisbon would definitely be a good choice to welcome the warm day of the upcoming summer. However, i’m not sure if the water is warm enough to swim in spring.

In the Netherlands, it can always rain (speaking as a local), even in summers. However, even I have to say that I love the city the most in Spring. The weather can be very beautiful as well. Same for Budapest actually :-). Cyprus definitely already has some great sea temperatures at the moment. For Lisbon, I think the water is indeed still too cold, but it’s also not that easy to swim there. Then you can better go to Cascais in summer!